Why buy new furniture if you can improve the old furniture? When you invest in good quality furniture, you don’t have to throw it away as soon as the fabric starts to fade. With reupholstering and refinishing, your old furniture can look as good as new. I revitalize my old furniture all the time. If you want to stop thinking of your expensive furniture as disposable and start thinking of it as something that you can periodically improve, you’re on the right track. I started this blog to provide you with tips and tricks for reupholstering, refinishing, and upgrading your old furniture.
During the cold months of winter, it's almost guaranteed that your house or apartment will develop a musty, closed-up odor, especially if you have pets. This odor is largely caused by a combination of human bodies, dust, dampness, mold, pets, and a general lack of fresh air that tends to be a part of winter. It's hard to keep the windows and doors open when it's snowing outside, after all. In order to get rid of that musty odor and make your living space more pleasurable, here are three tips:
Do a Spring Cleaning
A house's furniture, carpeting, linens, and even walls can produce a musty odor over time. Carpeting and curtains, especially, tend to hold dust that isn't necessarily visible, so cleaning both will improve the overall odor of your house. Wash linens with white vinegar to help remove musty odors. For best results, let the entire load soak in vinegar for around half an hour. Vinegar and baking soda can also be used to help clean wooden furniture, window sills, and appliances to get rid of musty odors.
Rid Your House of Mold
In many cases, musty odors are caused by mold, mildew, or dampness. This is why musty odors are more noticeable during the wintertime than during the summer. To make sure your house is free from excess mold and bacteria, use a chlorine dioxide spray inside closets, trunks, basements, and other areas that remain closed up.
Another great tip for basements: Use crushed volcanic rocks to naturally absorb mildew. Volcanic rocks can be purchased in mesh bags at most hardware stores. Leave them in basements and crawl spaces to stop mold from becoming a serious issue.
Use Aromatic Candles
Aerosol air fresheners and scented oils often produce odors that can be rather strong and overwhelming inside of a house that's closed up during the winter. It's a better idea to use aromatic scented candles in order to produce a light, lingering pleasant odor that won't ever be overwhelming. Choose candles with subtle/natural scents like cotton, pine, linen, or vanilla in living rooms and bedrooms. Seasonal scents or fruity scents are often great inside the kitchen. As with all candles, make sure to keep them away from children/pets, and always keep an eye on a lit candle.
Winter is a time when we sometimes feel a little blue and listless due to the fact that it's often too cold to go outside and enjoy a bit of fresh air. Remedy the wintertime blues and that closed-in feeling while ridding your living space of any mustiness with the above tips. Springtime may be a month or two away still, but that doesn't mean mustiness has to stick around.
Share5 January 2015
